Match-safe



(No Medel.) Y Y Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. W. HART, L. GRIFFITH 8v MGA.GOODWIN.

MATCH SAFE.

110.572,541. i l Ptented 1190.8, 18 6.

ik og (No lodkel.)` I- 2 Shxeets-Sheet 2.

J.W. HART, L. GRIFFITH 8v MGA. GOODWIN.'

-MATGH SAFE.

No. 572,541` j Patented Dec. s, 1896.

man Hlm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

JOHN WILEY HART, LUTHER GRIFFITH, AND MCALLISTER GOODVIN, OF

PITTSBURG, KANSAS. l

MATCH-SAFE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 572,541, dated December8, 1896.

Application led 311110 2 9 1 8 9 5.

T0 @ZZ whom it may con/cern:

Be it known that we, JOHN WTILEY HART, LUTHER GRIFFITH, and MCALLISTEEGoon- WIN, citizens of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in thecounty of Crawford and State of Kansas, have invented a new and usefulMatch-Safe, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to match-safes constructed to discharge a singlematch and ignite the same as it is removed from the safe; and the objectin view is to provide a simple and efficient construction andarrangement of parts whereby the discharge and ignition of the matchesare secured with the minimum exertion upon the part of the operator.

Further objects and advantages of this in- Y vention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a match-safeconstructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a verticalcentral section of the same, taken transverse to the axis of thecylinder. Fig. 3 is a side view of the same with the contiguous cap ofthe cylinder-casing omitted. Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken in theplane of the axis of the cylinder. Fig. 5 is a detail view of theigniting-block detached. Fig. 6 is a side view of the cylinder detachedto show the matchgroove and the sockets for engagement by the catch.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

The hopper 1 is provided at its top with a l hinged cover 2 andcommunicates at its lower end with a cylindrical casing 3, in which ismounted a rotary cylinder 4. The casing is provided at opposite endswith removable heads 5 and 6, adapted to be secured in place by anysuitable means, said heads being provided with bearings for thereception ofthe spindle of the cylinder. The spindle is extended at oneend to form a key-seat 7 upon which is fitted a key or crank S. Thecylinder terminates at one end short of the head 5 and is provided witha drum 9, to which is secured a spring or elastic band 10, the otherSerial Nm 554,502. (No model.)

end of said spring or elastic band being attached to an eye ll on thecasing, and hence when the cylinder is turned by means of the `crank itwinds the spring or elastic band upon the drum, whereby upon the releaseof the cylinder it returns to its normal position. stop-pin 12 on thecasing is arranged in the path of a projection 13 on the cylinder,whereby the rotation of the cylinder by means of the key or crank islimited.

Formed in the cylinder at one side is a match-groove 11 and anintersecting fingergroove 15, and arranged, respectively, upon oppositesides of the match groove or seatare socket-s 16 and 17, the former ofwhich is provided with a beveled side.

Secured to the casing above an outlet-opening 18 in the front sidethereof is a catch 19, having a nose 20, adapted to engage one of saidsockets in the cylinder. The socket 16 is adapted, by reason of itsbeveled side, to allow forward rotation of the cylinder or rotation inthe direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, but prevent backwardrotation thereof, while the engagement of the catch with the socket 17locks the cylinder against motion in either direction. The catch isadapted to engage the socket 17 when the4 .outlet-opening in the frontof the casing, as

shown in Fig. 1, this being the position of the parts when the cylinderhas been turned to carrya match from the hopper and expose it at saidoutlet-opening. When the cylinder reaches this position, it is held fromfarther forward motion by the catch engaging the socket 17 and is heldfrom backward Inovement by the same means to allow the operator toremove the match from the groove or seat. After such removal the catchmay be disengaged from the socket 17 to allow the cylinder to bereturned to its normal position under the tension of the spring orelastic band connected to the drum.

In connection with the above-described construction we employ anigniting-block 20, consisting` of a roughened or gauze surface arrangednear one end of the cylinder and inclined inwardly or toward thecylinder in the direction of rotation of said cylinder,whereby as thematch is carried by the groove or seat IOO its normal or operativeposition.

from the lower end of the hopper its head is brought into contact withthe i gniting-block, and the pressure of said head against the block isincreased as the match approaches the outlet-opening in the front of thecasing. A curved guard 2l is arranged in the casing around the drum toprevent injury by the ignited matches to the spring or elastic bandwhich is employed to return the cylinder to its normal position.

From the above description it will be seen that with the parts in theirnormal positions (shown in Fig. 3) a match may be discharged by turningthe key or crank in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2 until it ischecked by the engagement of the catch with the socket 17. In itspassage from the hopper to the outlet-opening the match has been ignitedby contact with the igniting-block, and hence is presented at theoutlet-opening in that condition. In order to prevent the match fromdropping out of the groove or seat in the cylinder when it reaches theoutlet-opening, the casing is provided with a narrow flange 22,

which overhangs said groove or seat and thus en gages the extremity ofthe match-stem after the body portion of the match has been eX- posedthrough the opening. After the match is grasped it may be disengagedfrom said iiange by moving it longitudinally.

In order that matches of varying lengths may be held in such a positionin the hopper as to have their extremities engaged by the fiange 22 whenthey reach the outletopening, we employ a guide-spring 23 in the hopper,at the opposite side thereof from the flange 22, to bear against theheads of the matches and push their butts against the opposite side ofthe hopper. After the removal of the match from the groove or seat thecatch should be disengaged from the socket 17 by lifting the free end ofsaid catch, when the spring or elastic band will return the cyl inder toits normal position, with the groove or seat in position to receiveanother match from the hopper.

In order to increase the tension of the elastic band when the latter hasbecome stretched by continued use, the catch may be disengaged from thesocket 17 and the cylinder turned through a complete revolution, afterwhich the catch may be allowed to return to Thus by the use of theabove-described means for lim iting the rotary movement of the cylinder,such means consisting of the spring-actuated catch for engaging socketsin the cylinder, the cylinder maybe turned to cause an extra wrap of theelastic band around the drum to insure an efficient operation of thecylinder when released.

In the construction illustrated in the drawings the casing is providedwith seemingplates 24, by which the device may be attached to a counter,but it is obvious that securingplates'may be provided to attach the sameto a wall or vertical partition, and that various other changes in theform, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resortedto without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of this invention.

Having described our invention, what we claim isl. In a match-safe, thecombination of a hopper, a cylindrical casing communicating with thehopper and provided with an outletopening, a cylinder mounted in thecasing and provided with a match groove or seat to receive a match fromthe hopper, and a flange on the casing concentric with the cylinderadapted to overhang the end of the groove or seat when the latter isopposite the outletopening and engage the butt-end of a match in thegroove, substantially as specified.

2. In a match-safe, the combination of a Y hopper, a casingcommunicating with the hopper and having an outlet-opening, a cylindermounted in the casing and having a match groove or seat and a key orcrank whereby it may be turned to expose said groove or seat at theoutlet-opening, a coaxial drum carried by the cylinder, a spring orelastic band attached at one end to the drum and at the other end to thecasing and adapted to be strained by the forward movement of thecylinder and return the same to its normal position when released, andmeans for limiting the rotary movement of the cylinder in bothdirections, such means being adapted to be disengaged from the cylinderto allow a complete revolution of the drum to reel the spring or bandthereon and thus increase the tension of the spring or band,substantially as specified.

In a match-safe, the combination of a hopper, a casing communicatingwith the hopper andprovidcd with an outlet-opening, a cylinder mountedin the casing and having a match groove or seat and means whereby it maybe turned to expose the match groove or seat at the outlet-opening,resilient means for returning the cylinder to its normal position, and aspring-catch adapted to engage sockets in the cylinder to limit theforward and return movements thereof, substantially as specified.

4. In a matchsafe, the combination of a hopper, a casing communicatingwith the hop per and having an outlet-opening, a cylinder mounted in thecasing and having a match groove or seat and -means whereby it may beturned forward to expose said groove or seat at the Outletppening, adrum carried by the cylinder, a spring or elastic band attached at oneend to the drum and at the other end to thc casing and adapted to bereeled upon the drum during the forward movement of the cylinder, anigniting-block arranged in an inclined position contiguous to one end ofthe cylinder, and a guard arranged in the casing around the drum toprotect the spring or elastic band from injury by an ignited match,substantially as specified.

5. In a match-safe, the combination with a IOS butt-ends of the matchesin Contact with the side of the hopper adjacent to said lange, 15

substantially as specified.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own We have heretoaffixed our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN VILEY HART.

LUTHER GRIFFITH.

MOALLISTER GOODVIN.

Vitnesses:

CHAs. EWING, J. F. I-IEATWOLE.

